A

D
P1
-0
8

A Plea from Beyond the

Grave
A One-Round D&D Adaptable LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure
version 2

by Nicholas Tulach

A poor, lost soul is locked away from his final peace. His efforts to avenge his familys deaths have cost him his
life, and now must haunt his tower until he can achieve a symbolic victory over his murderers. Can you free
him from his torment? An adventure for characters level 1-6.

Visit our Web site at:

www.wizards.com/rpga

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, ROLE PLAYING GAMES ASSOCIATION and RPGA are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast,
Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK and the D20 system logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and
the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Any reproductions or unauthorized use of material or artwork
contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This scenario is intended for organized play use
only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network.
2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved.

GETTING STARTED

his is an RPGA Network scenario for the DUNGEONS &

DRAGONS game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for
each round of this scenario, but the actual playing time will be
closer to three hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation
before game play, and scoring after the game. The following
guidelines are here to help you with both the preparation and
voting segment of the game. Read this page carefully so that you
know and can communicate to your players the special aspects of
playing an RPGA scenario.

Preparation
First you should print this scenario. This scenario was created to
support double-sided printing, but printing it single sided will
work as well. There is enough room along the inside margin to
bind the adventure, if you desire.
Read this entire adventure at least once before you run your
game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any special rules, spells, or
equipment presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight particularly important passages.
When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that you
have access to the following books: the Players Handbook, the
Dungeon Masters Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also assume
that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and
d20), some scrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and
your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track
movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad of graph
paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and chits, or as
elaborate as resin dungeon walls and miniatures.
Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, or
wait until you read the introduction, depending on the requirements of the scenario as described in the introduction.
Keep in mind that you must have at least four players (not
counting the DM), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA
event. As well, you cannot have more than seven players participating in the game.
Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each player
to place a nametag in front of him or her. The tag should have the
players name at the bottom, and the characters name, race, and
gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the
DM) to keep track of who is playing which character.
The players are free to use the game rules to learn about
equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. That said,
you as the DM can bar the use of even core rule books during certain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult
the DUNGEON MASTERs Guide when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with a monster.
Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may
present it as written to the players, while other text is for your
eyes only. Text for the players will be in gray boxes. Its strongly
recommended that you paraphrase the player text instead of
reading it aloud. Some of this text is general and must be adapted
to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters.
A Plea from Beyond the Grave

Scoring
After the players have completed the scenario or the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, the players and DM score the
game. The RPGA has three ways to score its games. Consult your
convention coordinator to determine which method to use for
this scenario:
1-No-vote scoring: The players write their names and RPGA
numbers on the scoring packet grid. You fill in the top of the
grid. That is all. No one is rated. This method is used for
people who are just playing for fun.
2-Partial scoring: The players rate the game master and the
scenario on their player voting sheet, and provide personal
information, but dont vote for other players. The game
master rates the scenario and completes personal and event
information, but does not rate the players as a team or vote for
players. This method is used when there is no competition,
but the event coordinator wants information on how
the game masters are performing, or the game master wants
feedback on his or her own performance.
3-Voting: Players and game masters complete the entire packet,
including voting for best player. If this method is used, be
sure to allow about 15-20 minutes for the players to briefly
describe their characters to the other players, and about 5-10
minutes for voting. This method is used when the players
want to know who played the best amongst the group, or
when the adventure is run in tournament format with
winners and prizes.
When using voting, rank the players in order of your voting
choice while they are completing their forms, so that you are not
influenced by their comments on your abilities. Its a good idea to
have the players vote while you determine treasure and experience awards for the scenario.
After voting, give the Scoring Packet to your event coordinator.

GETTING STARTED
his is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING adventure, it is expected that players will bring their own characters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character generation guidelines, a character sheet, and a LIVING
GREYHAWK log sheet from your convention coordinator or the
RPGA Web site, and then have any players without a character
create one. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character,
play can begin.
Along with the other materials that you are assumed to have
in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you
have a copy of the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer.

LIVING GREYHAWK Tier Structure

Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK
campaigns, this adventure is tiered. Basically, the challenges in this
adventure are proportioned to the average character level of the
characters participating in the adventure. To determine the tier that
you will use to run this adventure, add the character levels of all the
characters. In addition, add the levels of any cohorts or animals
according to the values on their certificates. Cross-reference the
total and the number of players participating in the game using the
chart below to determine the tier used for this adventure.

T1:
T2:
T3:

4 players
4-12
13-22
23-32

5 players
5-13
14-24
25-35

6 players
6-14
15-26
27-38

7 players
7-15
16-28
29-41

Lvl Cap
4th
6th
8th

The level cap indicated is the highest level of character allowed to

play this adventure. Characters of levels higher than the highest
level shown for the highest tier cannot be played.

Is it a Full Moon?
Since the hazards of lycanthropy are a current part of the LIVING
GREYHAWK campaign, it may be necessary to determine if this
adventure takes place during a full moon. For game purposes, the
full moon lasts three days of each month. For a given scenario that
does not state the phase of the moon, roll 1d10 before play begins.
On a result of 1, the first day of the scenario is a night of the full
moon (roll 1d3 to determine where in the sequence of three nights
it falls).

Lifestyle
At the beginning of every scenario, each PC is required to
pay upkeep costs matching the level of lifestyle they wish to
maintain. The lifestyles, and the effects that each has on play,
are:
Destitute

Poor

Common

High

Luxury

You have no living space, and must carry all your

gear everywhere. You eat poor quality food. You
wear a peasant outfit, your only change of clothes.
You sleep in poor accommodations, and eat poor
quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, and have
two sets of clothing.
You have common lodgings, and eat common
quality food. You have normal clothing for your
profession (adventuring); nothing fancy. You probably have two or three sets of clothing.
You stay in good quality lodgings, and eat good
quality food. You wear anything in value up to
courtiers outfits, and generally buy a new set of
clothing every two weeks.
You have luxurious accommodations (twice the
cost of good accommodations), and you eat excellent foods. You can throw a banquet for your
friends every day, and frequently do. You wear
clothing up to the value of nobles outfit, and buy
a new set of clothes every week.

Lifestyles come with bonuses or penalties to Diplomacy,

Intimidate, Disguise, and Bluff skill checks. These penalties,
shown below, should be applied at the DMs discretion, and can
sometimes backfirefor example, a PC with a poor lifestyle
would not have a penalty when talking to a beggar, but would
when talking to a city official. A PC with a high lifestyle should
have a penalty when dealing with a group of street thugs, where
a PC with a destitute lifestyle might not.
DMs are encouraged to role-play these reactions whenever
possible.

Lifestyle

Cost

Destitute
Poor
Common
High
Luxury

14 sp
43 sp
12 gp
250 gp
500 gp

Skill Modifier
-2
-1
0
+1
+2

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

3 THE ADVENTURE

About Adaptable Scenarios

This is an adaptable LIVING GREYHAWK scenario. Contact your
Regional Triad (contact information available at www.livinggreyhawk.com) for specific information on how to adapt this adventure to your home region. Your triad will provide you with an
Adaptation Sheet, which will dictate needed changes to make
this adventure playable in your Home Region.
Some adventures simply are not appropriate for all regions.
Its possible that your Regional Triad will not wish to adapt this
adventure to your region. In that case, or in case you cannot or do
not contact your Regional Triad, you may run this adventure as a
Default Core adventure set in an unassigned or wild region. In
this case, run the adventure essentially as written. Do not
attempt to change history in a nation that is not an assigned
Triad region.
An Adaptable Scenario played as a Default Core scenario
costs 2 Time Units. An Adaptable Scenario played as a regional
event per the Triads Adaptation Sheet costs 1 time unit for native
characters, and 2 time units for visitors.

DMs Introduction
Plague of the Third Season
In the years leading up to the Greyhawk Wars, a group of maniacal priests unleashed an agenda of terror, disease, and famine
known as the Plague of the Third Season. In the face of the
Scarlet Brotherhoods revealing, and the skirmish that pitted
Aerdys southern province against Nyrond, a monastic order dedicated to Incabulos, named the Bronze Cabal, arose with a goal to
furthering their gods callthey planned to unleash the most terrible plague and famine ever to occur on Oerth. These priests
were dispatched in search of a number of holy relics and ancient
artifacts that were necessary to their infernal plot. Disguised as
priests of Rao and Pelor, the Cabal enlisted the aid of numerous
unknowing followers to help them find the unholy ingredients
for their planned terror.
After the god Vatuns historical appearance (Iuz in disguise)
to the northern barbarian tribes, the priests of the Bronze Cabal
entered the barbarian lands, and sought artifacts rumored to
reside there. The barbarians caught the priests attempting to steal
the timeless treasures of the northlands. Finding themselves
trapped in the barbarian lands these desperate and seriously outnumbered priests executed their rituals prematurely and
unleashed their plague onto the unsuspecting barbarian tribes.
Much of the barbarian forces were fighting in the lands of
Stonehold and Tenh, but the remaining forces fell victim to the
plague and were unable to keep the armies in the south reinforced. This created a state of affairs that lead to the fall of the barbarian forces soon after their southern excursion began. The
priests demise was soon to follow. Discovering their plot to
unleash a horrible disease unto Oerth, a group of heroes named
the Defenders of the Light quested to the north and destroyed
A Plea from Beyond the Grave

the Bronze Cabals faction there. But some damage was already
done. For their remaining years, the heroes traveled throughout
the Flanaess in search of the Bronze Cabals remaining members and stop the groups evil plans from ever being set into
motion again.
In the years following the Greyhawk Wars, the Defenders of
the Light completed their mission. They destroyed all known
remnants of the Cabal and removing any threat to the countries
of the Flanaess that foul organization might have posed. In 587
CY, the Defenders fell upon their final encounter with a demon
that was summoned by the last great priest of the Bronze Cabal
Feroxius the Plague-bringer. Defeating the priest and his foul
minion took the lives of six of the seven members of the band.
The only survivor was a young priest of Rao named Ploellin.
Ploellin returned to his home, knowing that the threat had been
extinguished, and has since led a life devoted to spreading the
word of his god.

The Bronze Cabal

The Bronze Cabal was a loosely organized group of priests and
followers of Incabulos. They preferred to use rituals and divine
powers granted to them by their god instead of physical violence
and confrontation to achieve their goals. Theyve been known to
ally with lycanthropes at times. These cursed monsters assist the
Cabal in combat and in searching out new followers. After the
Greyhawk Wars and the Cabals failed attempts to spread terror
and disease across the Flanaess, they were forced to fracture their
organization. Records of the rituals that were used to unleash the
Plague of the Third Season were never found and are believed
destroyed. Rumors of the Cabals reformation and rise have surfaced from time to time in different regions of the Flanaess, but
none have proven to be true.

The History of Nzevorikin

Nzevorikin began his study of Incabuloss scripture after contracting a terrible disease, which he survived, but it left horrible
scars all over most of his face and torso. He believed his scared
body was a sign from Incabulos, who chose him to prepare a new
infested dawn and complete the previously failed attempt to
spread the gods disease and faith across the Flanaess. Nzevorikin
has moved throughout the Flanaess in search of the artifacts that
were amassed during the Greyhawk Wars for use in rituals by the
Bronze Cabal. He has been thwarted a number of times while
pursing artifacts in Furyondy, Veluna, the Vesve Forest, and the
Lands of Iuz. Still, he continues to search lands across the
Flanaess for the relics. Some believe that Nzevorikin possesses a
number of the scriptures that were thought lost or destroyed during the Greyhawk Wars. These scriptures detail rituals that, when
invoked, spread disease, and plague and call upon the divine
powers of Incabulos to control the dreams of victims, instilling
them with horrible nightmares that cause delirium or catatonia.

THE ADVENTURE
Nzevorikin is rumored to consort with remnants of the
Bronze Cabal, and may be a member himself. Some have said that
his activities point to an alliance with the Cabal while others
believe him to be an extraneous and insane follower of
Incabulos. Though they may disagree about his associations,
good power groups agree that he is not to be taken lightly. His
efforts have been brought to the attention of numerous groups in
the countries of the Flanaess. Divinations have been used to track
his movements, but recently such scryings have turned up little
valuable information.

The Black Stone of Harrowing Dreams

One of the major artifacts that Nzevorikin is searching for is the
black stone of harrowing dreams, one of the components taken by
the Defenders of the Light during their raids against the Cabal.
The stone disappeared about a decade after the wars ended.
Among the stones powers is a strange curse placed upon it causing nearby creatures to wildly attack any living creature near the
stone. Just who bestowed this curse and why is a mystery. Also,
anyone who comes into contact with the stone and lives suffers
the most horrible nightmares on every quarter-mooned night.
The stone is approximately six inches tall, five inches wide,
and an inch and a half thick. It has archaic runes engraved upon
it. The runes were written in the blood of its first victim. Legend
says anyone who can master the runes and read them back may
command the powers of the stone (Bardic Knowledge, DC 25).

Adventure Synopsis
The heroes begin this adventure by encountering an odd, floating hand that beckons them to follow its gesture. It leads each of
them to the door of an old and rundown tower.
When the heroes enter the tower, they are confronted by the
spirit of Weslin Fraimekkian, actually a well-devised illusion by
an evil priest of Incabulos. The priest is looking for unknowing
minions to carry out his unholy tasks. Completion of these tasks
will aid him in finishing his unsettling ritual. The illusionary
ghost asks for the heroes help in finding items that have recently been looted from his tomb. He informs the PCs that the items
theft is the reason for his haunting, and their return will reunite
him with his family. The items are the black stone of harrowing
dreams and a holy relic, the holy chalice of Rao.
As the heroes search outside of town for the stone, they come
upon a desecrated church. The cemetery graves have been dug
up and the corpses placed onto the ruined altar within. The stone
is at the site, there is also a book hidden away within a small shed
outside of the church. Inside the book are dark and strange religious parables written in blood. The night after leave the church,
creatures attracted by the powers of the stone attack the PCs.
When the PCs search for the relic, they find that the supposed shady merchants house is unguarded and easily plun-

dered. The shady merchant is really Ploellin, a holy man devoted

to Rao. Ploellin does not know that the relic can be used as a component for an evil ritual. He has possessed it for years and it
serves as a reminder of friends who had made the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good of the Flanaess.
If the heroes return both items to the illusionary ghost, or if
they question the validity of the spirit too aggressively,
Nzevorikin drops his cover and springs a trap that sends the PCs
to his dungeon. There, they witness the torturous death of another captive and must find a way to escape.
After the characters escape the holding chamber and defeat
the guards, they ascend to the top of the tower in search of
Nzevorikin. When they reach his chamber, Nzevorikin flees
with the help of a spell he has prepared and leaves his finest
henchman, Duruuk, to battle the PCs.
If the heroes defeat Duruuk and return the items to Ploellin,
the priest tells them that he is not comfortable keeping the stone.
He hopes that they can have it destroyed before it falls into the
wrong hands.

Players Introduction
As the PCs are performing their daily activities a ghostly hand
interrupts them. The hand seems very anxious and is trying to
get the PCs to follow it. The hand is actually a helping hand spell.
The DM should read the following passage to the players:
You notice, out of the corner of your eye, an odd, floating hand
that seems eager to grab your attention. The hand approaches you
and begins frantically waving in your face. It floats off, pausing
here and there to ensure that you follow.
The characters each encounter the hand and, in each case, it
annoys them until they follow, or the hand can beckon them as a
group (though it chooses one person in the group to harass, as
per the spells description, Players Handbook, page 213). The hand
leads the PCs from their respective locations across the town in
seemingly random directions. The hand twists turns down side
streets and out of the city through a neglected hole in the city
wall, and then leads the PCs into the wilderness. The hand then
follows a trail for a short time, and the PCs are eventually lead to
the door of a strange, dark tower:
After being led throughout town and into the wilderness, you
come upon a mysterious, dark and twisted tower. The wind
whips around the tower, creating a ghoulish moan.
After allowing a brief period for player introductions, if necessary, continue with the following passage:

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

5 THE ADVENTURE
As you approach the large wooden door, you cant help but notice
two large statues of great warriors flanking the ornate entrance.
Above there are two rather grotesque looking gargoyles, which, if
they were living creatures, would be poised to strike out at anyone daring to trespass upon this eldritch manor. As your gaze
moves from the imposing statues to the door in front of you, the
portal mysteriously creaks and moans and finally swings open,
like a bizarre invitation.
When the characters enter the tower, proceed to Encounter 1.

Encounter 1:
Spirit of Weslin Fraimekkian
The towers main floor takes up a 30-foot diameter circle. There
is a large fireplace opposite the door with a mantle above it. There
are ornate tapestries hanging all around, depicting a family of
great wealth. On the floor, there is a large rug of mangy fur. To the
left of the entrance is a stairway that leads up, and, to the right, a
doorway. Soon after initial investigation, an apparitionthe
spirit of Weslin Fraimekkiangreets the PCs.
Suddenly, you are frozen with fright, as a ghastly figure appears
right before your eyes! With burning orbs of fire for eyes and
chains dangling from its incorporeal limbs, the spirit moans a
deep, chilling sigh before ascending to the ceiling. It speaks: I
am Weslin Fraimekkian, son of Jeriah Fraimekkian and owner of
this decrepit manor. I have called upon you to assist me in avenging my familys unjust and cruel death.
Sobbing and broken, Weslin continues to describe the
events that led to his familys demise: A gang of bandits came
upon my humble home with the intent to destroy all that I had
gained in life. Though I never learned their intent, I assumed
that the bandits were hired by a rival merchant house. They took
my wife and young daughter, Lenla, from me! I pursued them,
out of my blinding love for my family, and found that my wife
and daughter were murdered by the bandits. Those murderous
thugs set an ambush for me. I did not resist, for I had nothing
left to live for. Little did I know that I would not find peace in
death. Instead I roam, seeking revenge against what these terrible men committed unto me!
Weslin pauses to regain some composure, his ghastly features distorting under the torturous recounting of his tale.
He continues:
After my death, the bandits came again to my burial site and
took from me the holy possessions that I had been given by my
family and my faith. I have been imprisoned to haunt these halls,
apart from my family for all eternity, until those symbols of my
love and faith can be returned to me here.

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

Weslin gives the heroes information regarding both the stone

and the chalice and their locations.
He believes that the stone is somewhere in a graveyard at an old
temple site about a half-days journey southwest of the town. He has
heard that the bandits once used the site as a base of operations.
The relic, he informs them, had been sold to a corrupt and
greedy merchant named Ploellin. Any PCs with Knowledge
(local) who succeeds at a check (DC 20) will recognize the name,
know that he lives in town, but not much more. The ghost is
lying about his personality (but not his identity). Ploellin does
have the relic in his possession, but for an entirely different reason; he is the last remaining member of the Defenders of the
Lightthe group that set out to destroy the evil Bronze Cabal.
If asked, Weslin gives the following descriptions of the items:
The stone was given to me by my daughter. She had found it
while playing as a young child and thought it to be the most curious stone she had ever seen. It is a smoky gray hued stone with
some writing on it. I was never able to read the writing, nor could
I find anyone else who could.
The other item was a relic given to me by my church for my
unending faith in Rao. It is a beautiful chalice encrusted with
jewels and blessed by the clergy of my faith.
This story is actually a well-devised plot by Nzevorikin. He has
used his spells and a powerful magic item in his possession to create an uncanny illusion of Weslins ghost. PCs using their
Spellcraft skill to attempt to discern if this is indeed a creation of
magic can make a check at DC 25. A successful Spellcraft check
or detect magic spell reveals the magical presence, but the presence of numerous magical effects confuses the auras source and
type. Heroes succeeding at a Sense Motive (DC 20) will determine that, though his intentions are somewhat muddled, the
ghost does have a sincere desire to have these items returned.
After a short time (3 minutes) the magic creating the spirit runs
out. At such time, if the PCs are still present, Nzevorikins creation feigns that demons that are hounding him, are pulling him
away. The illusion screams in agony as his pursuers haul his
trapped soul back to the Ethereal Plane.
PCs now have two paths that they may follow: They can further investigate to find the sacred stone (Go to Encounter 2), or
they can pursue the lead to find and return the ghosts holy relic
(Go to Encounter 5).
What happens if the PCs search the tower? It is extremely
possible that the PCs may decide to search the tower before
searching for the stone or the relic. If this happens, all is not lost.
The action in this adventure will just be played out in reverse.
Nzevorikin will use his mage hand spell to release the floor trap
and drop the PCs into the dungeon (See Encounter 7). He will
make his escape when the PCs confront him. Run the rest of the
adventure as a mystery, as the PCs attempt to find out the reasons
why Nzevorikin needed the stone and the chalice. Ploellin will

THE ADVENTURE
help PCs put the pieces together where necessary, and will
reward them with his favor and his masterwork flail at the end of
the adventure.

Encounter 2: Decrepit Church

The decrepit church is located about a half-days journey from
town. The trip to the site is uneventful, except that the weather
takes a turn for the worsegrayish clouds rolling in and the mist
turns to light rain as they approach the church and its graveyard.
Mist becomes light rain and youre soon soaked. You can hear
thunder crackle in the distance from the approaching storm. As
you come over a small ridge, you see a peculiarly dense grove of
gnarled and twisted oak trees that seem eerily out of place in this
lightly wooded area. As you approach the thicket, the trees seem
to turn toward you, engulfing you in their dark canopy, and
blocking what little daylight there is. Traveling a short distance
into the twisted woods you see a mangled, ruined church almost
completely engulfed by the evil looking overgrowth. The ceiling
of the main building has collapsed and, here and there, the
branches of the enormous oaks have pierced and shattered the
old stained-glass windows. You see a small cemetery just to the
north of the church.
Upon approaching the site, the PCs may notice (Spot, DC 15)

that not only has the forest overtaken this church, but the site has
also have been rampaged by creatures.
The Churchyard: As the PCs approach and investigate the
churchyard, signs of desecration become obvious. The church
building is barely standing; its walls are slowly crumbling in on
themselves, and its roof has long since collapsed. Around the
churchyard the PCs will find that the holy statues have all been
removed from their pedestals and smashed into pieces. Many of
those pieces are scattered all around the churchs grounds.
There is a small shed behind the church. Within this small
building, the PCs will find interesting sets of runes inside, along
the rickety doorvile markings written in dried blood. A PC who
is able to read Infernal can read these markings. Give PCs that are
able to read Infernal (and have examined the writings) Players
Handout #1. There is also blood dried on the floor and staining
the walls. Succeeding at a Search check (DC 22) reveals a wellhidden book beneath the floorboards of the shed. The book has a
plain charcoal-black cover adorned with gouges here and there.
The tome is trapped. A needle, coated with an infectious disease,
shoots out of the spine of the book, coated with an infectious disease. The judge should consult the Dungeon Masters Guide, pages
74-75, for the effects of disease on a character.

Tier 1 (EL 4)
Disease needle trap: +8 ranged (1) + filth fever disease (Fort save

Map 1: Decrepit Church

1. The Church
2. Small Shack
3. Grave Yard
Tree

Each Square = 20

2
1

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

7 THE ADVENTURE
to resist [DC 12]; incubation 1d3 days; 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con damage); Search (DC 22); Disable Device (DC 20).

spell, but they can give it up if subject to a remove curse spell. That
spell does not remove the curse from the stone itself, though).

Tier 2 (EL 6)

Development: The PCs are likely to spend a considerable

amount of time searching this site. If they decide to stay the
night the PCs encounter a group of beasts dragging fresh kills to
the site. This encounter is similar to (and replaces) Encounter 3.
Combat ensues as the PCs are potentially surprised (Spot or
Listen, DC 15). See Encounter 3 for details.

Disease needle trap: +10 ranged (1) + shakes disease (Fort save
to resist [DC 13]; incubation 1 day; 1d8 Dex damage); Search (DC
25); Disable Device (DC 22).

Tier 3 (EL 7)
Disease needle trap: +12 ranged (1) + slimy doom disease (Fort
save to resist [DC 14]; incubation 1 day; 1d4 Con damage); Search
(DC 29); Disable Device (DC 25).

Encounter 3: Dire Situation

The tome contains many pages that are still intact, but several
pages have been torn out and a few have been destroyed by flame.
The text is written in Infernal. PCs who can read Infernal can
read the book.

When the PCs leave the site, and if they havent rested at the
church, they will need to on the way back to town. If they have
found the stone, they will be awaken in the middle of the night
by a number of creatures that emerge from the wilderness to
attackdire wolves, rats, or both depending on the Tier.
Strangely, some of them dragging freshly killed kobold corpses.

The Graveyard: Investigating the graveyard reveals that all of

the graves have been crudely and hastily dug upthe contents
are nowhere to be found.
Even closer investigation of the graveyard reveals numerous
tracks of many types of animals. Succeeding at a Track check (DC
15) reveals that the tracks are mostly wolf and bear, but also some
large rat tracks. PCs searching the graves will see that all the
headstones have been overturned. Closer examination (Search
DC 10) also reveals that some headstones are scarred with deep
scratch marks, and that the graves appear to have been dug up
with claws rather than tools.

Quickening from the shadows, you see several animals emerge

from the brush. Some of them are clutching what looks like dead
humanoids in their jaws. Gore drips from their mouths as they
begin to frenzy and charge at you in a bloodlust.

Tier 1 (EL 3)
Dire Rats (6): hp 7, 6 (x3), 5 (x2); Dungeon Masters Guide, page 56.

Tier 2 (EL 5)
Dire Rats (3): hp 7, 6 (x2); Dungeon Masters Guide, page 56.

Inside the Church: Searching the church reveals even more

disturbing and gruesome scenes. Within the church, the stench
of rotting flesh is overpowering, enough to force to make the PCs
attempt a Fortitude save (DC 12). Anyone who fails is sickened,
and suffers a -1 penalty to all rolls for the next 1d8 hours. Upon
entering the church, the heroes immediately notice a horrific
pile of corpses stacked nearly to the ceiling in place of where the
altar must have once stood. The dead bodies are in various states
of decay, from skeletal remains to rather fresh corpses.
Succeeding at a Heal check (DC 15) reveals that some of the bodies have been placed on the pile as recently as the previous night.
If the PCs inspect the corpses further, succeeding at a Search
check (DC 20) reveals an interesting stone shoved into one of the
bodys gaping stomach wound. The stone is a four-inch by fourinch smoky dark gray hued and jagged-edged stone. A single
word is chiseled on its face, and written in Infernal: nightmare.
If a hero in possession of the stone speaks that command word
aloud, take the player of that character aside and let the player
know that their character feels a strong compulsion to keep the
stone, and may act aggressively towards those that wish to take it
from him or her. The hero may not voluntarily give up the stone
at any time (even if they are the subject of a charm or command

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

Dire Wolf (1): hp 45; Dungeon Masters Guide, page 57.

Tier 3 (EL 8)
Dire Rats (6): hp 7, 6 (x3), 5 (x2); Dungeon Masters Guide, page 56.
Dire Wolves (2): hp 49, 45; Dungeon Masters Guide, page 57.
Tactics: The rats and/or wolves are in a frenzy. They will fight to
the death and will not break to flee. They will always charge the
nearest PC and will be unaffected by enchantments spells, spelllike abilities, or supernatural effects.

Encounter 4: Return to the Tower

If the heroes return to the tower after finding one of the items
but not both, the ghost speaks to them, reiterating the information that he had told them before.
If they have not yet visited the home of Ploellin, the ghost
gives them directions to the priests home. He also tells them that
it is best to approach at night, since Ploellin lives in a busy part of

THE ADVENTURE
town and that it would be best to not draw attention to themselves while searching for the chalice.
If they have not yet searched for the stone, he tells the
PCs that he believes that the stone may be in a glade southwest of town where an old church sits about a half-days journey from town.
Sobbing mournfully again, Weslin speaks: For helping me
find my peace and returning me to my familys side, you have
my unending gratitude. Go now and seek out the final piece to
my salvation and return here with it so that I may be set free of
this horrible curse. Make haste, for the tortures of this existence are unbearable.
Development: If the heroes voice skepticism about stealing the
relic, which is likely if there are lawful good or adventurers of
conscience, Nzevorikin casts charm person (Will save, DC 14) on
one of them. Weslin then implores charmed hero to help and
convince the party that it is right to return the lost souls relic and
allow the ghost his final peace. If possible dont alert the PCs to
the charm. It may be a good idea to take each player aside and
roleplay Weslins pleas, the other PCs can wrestle with their conscience, while target of the spell must succeed at the saving
throw. If that person fails explain to him or her that her or she
feels compelled to aid the ghost. If the spell fails the PCs who was
charmed will know an attempt was made, and Nzevorikin will
know it failed. The villain then springing his trap and send the
heroes tumbling into the dungeon. Proceed to Encounter 6.
If the PCs decide to confront the ghost on the issue of the
relic, the priest drops his cover and surprises them, sending them
tumbling to the dungeon, if possible. If not he alerts Duruuk and
the bugbears who will make haste to confront the PCs. Go to
Encounter 6.
If the PCs accept the mission (either they have no problem
stealing the relic, or they have been successfully manipulated by
Nzevorikins wit and spell), the ghosts fades away. Its fading is followed by a horrible groan that echoes throughout the chamber.

Encounter 5: Rectory of Rao

The PCs may attempt to retrieve the relic a couple of different
ways: they will approach the priests rectory at night, under cover
of darkness, or they may want to confront Pleollin.
The PCs might also be compelled to check up on Ploellins
background using the Gather Information skill (DC 12).
Attempting the check will cost 1d4 gp worth of drinks and
bribes, and succeeding at the check reveals that Ploellin is not a
merchant at all, but rather he is a devote priest of Rao. He does,
though, reside at the location given to the PCs by the ghosta
part of the city that hosts many religious buildings, but also the
homes of some lesser merchants. A successful Gather
Information check will not yield any information about the relic,

but a successful Bardic Knowledge check may (DC 25) remind

bards that the a small rectory of Rao in this city is rumored to
house a holy, gem-encrusted chalice.
Approaching at night: If the PCs approach Ploellins residence
at night, read the following:
You approach the building that the spirit directed you to, finding
it to be much less grandiose than you had expected. The houses
weather-beaten exterior seems to be out of place among the surrounding temples. The flicker of candlelight from the secondstory window cuts through the darkness that surrounds the
building and a howl in the distance makes the tiny hairs on your
neck stand on end. A moment later, the light from the window
goes out and all is now dark below. Stairs lead up to the front
porch of the residence and a small step in back leads to a door at
the rear.
Regardless of which way the heroes enter the house at night,
Ploellin does not wake. He is a very sound sleeper. The characters
quickly locate the relic sitting in Ploellins den atop a bookshelf.
Atop the bookcase, you spot a bronze chalice, emeralds encrust
its base. The stunning item stands out as the only ornate article
on the old dust-covered bookshelf.
Any characters that search the area do not find any evidence that
Ploellin belonging to a merchant guild, merchant family, or other
trade organization. The entire dwelling is rather Spartan. The
only telling items in the den are several manuals written in
Common, each devoted to the teachings of Rao, and all of which
are arranged in alphabetical order on the bookshelf.
In the Daylight Hours: If the heroes decide to confront Ploellin
during the day, read or paraphrase the following:
You approach the building that the spirit directed you to, and
find it to be much less grandiose then what you had expected to
find. The houses weather-beaten exterior seems to be out of place
among the surrounding temples. The streets are filled not with
merchants, but with clergymen and those persons who wish the
services of priests. Stairs lead up to the front porch of the residence and a small step in back leads to a door at the rear.
If the PCs decide to approach Ploellin, he invites them in as his
guests. If asked he shows them the relic, and explains to them
that it was found during his adventuring days in the marshes of
the Vast Swamp in southern Sunndi. Other than its powers as a
minor relic to Rao, he is not aware of any other significance the
item might have. Ploellin has holds the relic in this rectory in
remembrance of his fallen comrades.
Development: If the heroes suspect Weslin (Nzevorikin) is up
A Plea from Beyond the Grave

9 THE ADVENTURE
to no good, and shares these thoughts with Ploellin, the priest
will express his concern. He is willing to help a poor soul in need,
but flinches at the thought that the ghost could want the relic for
some evil end. He tells the PCs of the relics powers and how to
use them. He encourages the PCs to take the relic and to use it if
necessary. Ploellin tells the PCs that he would like the relic
returned when the PCs are done, if such a return is possible.

Encounter 6: The Ghost Revealed

When the PCs return to the tower, the Nzevorikin is expecting
them to have the items in their possession. When they enter the
tower, Weslins voice instructs the heroes to place the items on
the mantle above the fireplace.

Tier 1-3 (EL 4)

Trap door trap: No attack roll needed (Reflex save to avoid
(DC 20); 1d6 subdual damage); Search (DC 18); Disable
Device (DC 20).
Nzevorikin quickly retreats to his upper chamber and dispatches
Duruuk from the basement dungeon if the remaining PCs give
chase. The remaining PCs may act, but are hindered by the unstable floor. Movement is halved and attacks and skill checks suffer
a -4 circumstance penalty, and spell casting requires a
Concentration check (DC 10, the 4 circumstance penalty
applies to this roll as well) in order to succeed. If the PCs try to
pursue Nzevorikin up the stairs, Duruuk bursts from the door
and engages the PCs (See Encounter 7 for Duruuks stats).

A voice booms throughout the room as you enter. You have

retrieved my items, for that I am grateful. Leave them here now,
so that I may rest in peace. You recognize the voice as that of
Weslin, but his incorporeal form is nowhere to be found.

PCs who are outside: Any PCs remaining outside hear the rumble and commotion from within. They find the door locked. There
are no other entrances, visible or otherwise. The PCs who are outside must either pick the lock (DC 15) or bash open the door; otherwise they are trapped outside, helpless to aid their companions.

If the PCs place the items on the mantle: As soon as they

place the items on the mantle, Nzevorikin begins to walk down
the stairway toward the heroes. If the heroes have returned both
items, read or paraphrase the following:

Encounter 7: Capture and Escape

As you place the items upon the mantle, you hear the clicking of
footsteps from staircase above. A dark figure in a black robe
trimmed with bronze emerges from around the corner and stops
about halfway down the stairs. Glaring in your direction he spits,
Ive been expecting your return! I see youve succeeded in bringing what I need to complete my ritual. Since you have been so
cooperative, I would like you to be my guests for the culmination
of my work.
The evil man sneers at you as he pulls a lever on the wall,
cackles, and retreats to his upper abode.
If they do not place the items on the mantle: If the PCs
return to the tower after speaking with the relics rightful keeper
and decide not to place the items on the mantle, the priest uses a
mage hand to spring the trap on the heroes from a distance.
The floor of the room begins to shake. You are jarred and tossed
as a pit opens in the middle of the room, sending you sprawling
to avoid falling into the darkness below.
Nzevorikin springs a trap on the PCs by pulling a lever on the
wall on the staircase.
Trap: Any PCs that have entered the tower and are standing atop
the floor trap must succeed a Reflex save or fall into the dungeon
below the tower.

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

After the trap is sprung, some heroes will undoubtedly end up in

the large circular holding room under the floor trap. The floor is
covered with old and moldy straw (reducing the falling damage,
so that Nzevorikin's victims live just a little longer).
As you come to your senses again, you realize that you are now
trapped in a damp and musty stone circular cell. Flickering light
enters the chamber through a small grate in the wall, and screams of
agony come from outside the cell.
Nzevorikins henchmen are busy torturing their latest victim in
the torture chamber. If a PC looks at what lies beyond the grate,
read the following:
Various torture implements line the walls of this dungeon. A large rack,
stained red with the blood of many victims, is propped in the corner of
the room. A human-sized casket-like box also stands in the room.
Though it is closed, ominous crimson contents dripping down its sides
and onto the floor, suggest as how the box may be employed.
A man lies face down on a flat stone slab. Two large and hairy
goblinoids flank the man. Each has wedge-shaped ears, a mouth
full of fangs, and is wearing light armor. From behind one of the
goblinoids, a man covered nearly head-to-toe in gore strides toward
his victim on the stone slab. He carries a large hook in one hand and
a serrated blade in the other. After a skilled flick with his serrated
blade his victims mouth bubbles over with blood, his eyes roll back,
and his body falls limp. The gore covered man cackles evilly, just
before he glances your way.

THE ADVENTURE 10
Map 2: The Tower

Development: The man (Duruuk) calls for the bugbears to guard

the new prisoners while he finds out what Nzevorikin wants to
do with the new dungeon inhabitants. He then exits the room.
The PCs must come up with a creative way to escape their
captivity. You may want to roll initiative here and take it round by
round. The bugbears are distracted by the dead mans corpse (continuing to poke and prod it, as well as making grotesque jokes in
Goblin about the dead man) and pay the heroes only a passing
interest. The heroes can use the bugbears ghoulish distraction to
their advantage. Still, a fight is a very possibility as the PCs
attempt to escape. The heroes should then find their way out of
the dungeon and up to the top of the tower.

Tier 1 (EL 4)
Bugbear (2): hp 16 (each). See Monster Manual page 27.

Tier 2 (EL 6)
Bugbear Ftr2 (2): CR 4; Medium-size Humanoid (Goblinoid);
HD 3d8+6 + 2d10+4; hp 35 (each); Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 19
(Touch 11, Flatfooted 18); Atks +7 melee (1d10+3/19-20, bastard
sword) or +5 ranged (1d6+3/x3, half spear); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.;
AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10,
Wis 10, Cha 9.
Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

11 THE ADVENTURE
+6, Spot +3. Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently
checks; Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword),
Power Attack.
Possessions: Studded leather armor, large wooden shield, bastard sword, half spear.

Tier 3 (EL 8)
Bugbear Ftr4 (2): CR 6; Medium-size Humanoid (Goblinoid);
HD 3d8+9 + 4d10+12; hp 58 (each); Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22
(Touch 13, Flatfooted 19); Atks +10 melee (1d10+5/19-20, bastard
sword) or +9 ranged (1d6+3/x3, half spear); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.;
AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10,
Wis 10, Cha 9.
Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Hide +3, Listen +4, Move Silently
+7, Spot +4. Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently
checks; Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword),
Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Weapon
Specialization (bastard sword).
Possessions: chain shirt, large wooden shield, bastard sword,
half spear.
The PCs still have their equipment, and may cast spells or fire
ranged weapons at the bugbears. The bugbears arent intelligent
enough to remain out of line of site of the heroes until the PCs
starting firing. The trapped heroes see no conceivable exit from
the cell other then trying to climb back up the way that they
came in. A Search check (DC 18) reveals a one-way door leading
to the torture chamber (it opens from the torture chambers side,
of course) that the PCs can open with a knock spell or bashing it
open. If they enter the room, the bugbears attack.
One Way Door: 2 inch thick; hardness 5; hp 20; AC 5, break
DC 20.
Their best chance at escape is to climb back up the way they fell.
The bugbears are distracted and do not pay much attention to the
PCs unless they are directly harassed. If the PCs attempt this,
they should succeed at a number of climb checks equal to the
Tier the PCs are playing at (DC 12) in order to climb back up.
When they reach the top of the tunnel, there is a large, wooden
trap door that they can pound on to try to gain the attention of
the PCs above. The PCs above should be able to open the trapdoor
by force (DC 25), or by pulling the lever on the staircase.
Heroes that didnt fall: For the heroes that didnt fall, they have
numerous options.
If there are heroes outside the tower, the heroes inside will
need to open the door to let them back in. It is a simple lock (DC
20) that can be opened from the inside.
If the heroes decide to give chase up the stairs after
Nzevorikin, Duruuk bursts forth from the door opposite the
staircase and engages them. See Encounter 7 for Duruuks stats.
If the heroes try to assist the trapped PCs, they will likely search
A Plea from Beyond the Grave

the room and may (Search, DC 20) find the trap door in the middle (where the heroes fell) and or (Search DC 25) another door
that leads to a staircase going down. There is a secret door in this
staircase opposite the stairs going down that leads up to
Nzevorikins chamber, which Duruuk uses to get to the top of the
tower If the PCs dont give chase. If the remaining heroes go
down the passage to the basement, they end up in the torture
chamber with the bugbears. A battle ensues and the PCs that are
in the cell can here the battle and try to assist.
If the heroes remain in the foyer, they can assist the trapped
PCs escape through the trap door by opening it with the lever.
Front Door: 1 inch thick; hardness 5; hp 10; AC 5; break DC 18.
Development: During the actions taking place in this
encounter, the stone and relic both begin to emanate an eerie
green glow. Nzevorikin has begun his ritual and the stone and
relic need only be within within the tower to begin the ritual. If
the relics are not inside the tower, Nzevorikin will send Duruuk
and the bugbears to find them and get them within the tower.

Encounter 8: Villains Flight

Upon reaching the top of the tower, the heroes finally see the
priests evil plot in all its horrific repulsiveness. Read the following passage:
As you enter the chamber atop the tower, you see a repulsive
sight. The room is walled with human skulls, all of which seem to
glare at you as you enter. A large pool of crimson fills the middle
of the room. Stone statues of winged and fanged creatures from
another time and place flank the pool.
If the PCs have not faced Duruuk already, he is with Nzevorikin
to aid with the ritual.
Two men are standing on the other side of the pool. The dark
robed man stands next to a shimmering oval of blue light. The
other man, whose brawny and scared frame swaggers like a sellsword, scowls at your entrance. As soon as they notice you, the
chanting man steps through the shimmering vertical gateway.
The other draws his serrated blade. His eyes full of fury as he lets
out an enraged battle cry.
If the PCs have already defeated Duruuk, read the following passage instead.
A solitary, dark robed man stands on the other side of the pool,
next to a shimmering oval of blue light. As soon as he notices you,
the chanting man steps through the shimmering vertical gateway
and disappears, leaving you in this horrific, unholy place.

THE ADVENTURE
The heroes must battle Duruuk while Nzevorikin uses the opportunity to escape (Nzevorikin gets a free partial action before initiative is rolled, giving him enough time to escape); the gateway
he opened closing quickly behind him. The ritual has amplified
the stones power and whoever picks it up at this point is subject
to its curse, even if the command word has not already been spoken. Be sure to pull the player aside and explain the effect to him
or her. If the heroes did not return the stone to Nzevorikin, the
ambient evil within this room triggers the curse on whoever now
holds the stone.

Tier 1 (EL 4)
Duruuk, male human Ftr 4: Medium-size Humanoid; HD
4d10+4; hp 32; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14);
Atks +8 melee (2d4+3/18-20, falchion); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3,
Will +1; Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +3,
Jump +10, Speak Goblin; Cleave, Expertise, Improved Disarm,
Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (falchion).
Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.

Tier 2 (EL 6)
Duruuk, male human Ftr 6: Medium-size Humanoid; HD
6d10+6; hp 46; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14);
Atks +10/+5 melee (2d4+5/crit 18-20, falchion); AL CE; SV Fort
+5, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Climb +12, Escape Artist +6, Intimidate +4,
Jump +12, Speak Goblin; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise,
Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon
Focus (falchion), Weapon Specialization (falchion).
Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.

12

This is very disturbing indeed. This horrible ritual sounds strikingly similar to my encounters with the Bronze Cabal in the past.
I do not know what actions you should take now. It is very disheartening that this evil priest still roams free. Please, take this
stone, as I cannot guard it from the evils that pursue it. It needs
to be destroyed as soon as possible, for it is obviously a component to this terrible plot reborn. I trust you as bearers of good to
follow through and destroy the stone as soon as you can.
If the heroes inquire as to how they can destroy the stone,
Pleollin tells them that it will take powerful magical invocations
that he is not able to call upon. He thanks them for their efforts
and warns them that the stone emanates a great amount of evil.
The bearer of the stone should be under the influence of the
curse and will be happy to hold on to it for safe keeping. If the
heroes have concerns that their companion is potentially cursed,
Ploellin informs them that he is not able to help them but that
they should seek out the services of another, more powerful
priest to assist them. The cursed character may likely protest any
action taken against him.
If the heroes return the relic to Ploellin, he thanks them
and gives them his flail and offers them his favor should they
seek him out in the future. The PCs are only awarded the
favors and the flail if they return the chalice to Ploellin to conclude the adventure.
The favors can be used at this time by the PCs to cure diseased
characters by pooling three of the favors together, or the favors
can be saved for a later date.

THE END

Tier 3 (EL 8)
Duruuk, male human Ftr 8: Medium-size Humanoid; HD
8d10+8; hp 60; Init +6 (Dex, Improved Initiative); Spd 20 ft.; AC
16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14); Atks +12/+7 melee (2d4+5/15-20,
falchion); AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 15, Con
12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills: Climb +14, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +5, Jump +14,
Speak Goblin.
Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Improved Disarm,
Improved Critical (falchion), Improved Initiative, Power Attack,
Weapon Focus (falchion), Weapon Specialization (falchion).
Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.

Conclusion
After defeating the priest, it is likely that the heroes will return to
Ploellins dwelling to bring him the relic and report their findings. He tells the heroes the following:

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

13 EXPERIENCE & TREASURE

Experience Point Summary

To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the
objectives accomplished. Then assign the discretionary roleplaying experience award. The roleplaying award should be given for
consistent character portrayal and contribution to the fun of the
game. You can award different roleplaying amounts to different
characters.
Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each
character.
Encounter 1
Revealing that magic is at work

1) The item must be non-magical and specifically listed in the

text of the adventure (e.g armor on foes). If it is not listed in the
text, the characters cannot keep it. Items of this nature can be
sold for 50% of book value, or recorded on a log sheet.
2) Animals, followers, monsters, henchmen, and so forth (any living being, basically) may not be kept from a scenario for any reason unless the treasure summary lists the being specifically. It is
okay for the player characters to form relationships with NPCs,
but these will not be certed and cannot bring material benefit to
the character. Contacts (sources of extra information) must be
specifically certed.

25 xp

Encounter 2
Finding the Black Stone
Finding the book
Deciphering the runes

50 xp
25 xp
25 xp

Encounter 3
Defeating the dire animals

75 xp

Encounter 5
Waking Ploellin and talking to him
Revealing concerns about the ghost

25 xp
50 xp

Encounter 7
Escaping the dungeon (individually awarded)
25 xp

3) Theft is against the law, but may be practiced by some player

characters. Items that are worth more than 250 gp that are of personal significance to the owner (including family heirlooms),
and all magical items, will be discovered in the possession of the
character by one means or another. The character must return the
item and pay a fine equal to three times the value of the item
stolen. In addition, the PC caught receives campaign-decided
penalties for being known as a thief, such as Infamy. For other
stolen items which meet the criteria in #1 above, use your judgment and the circumstances within the game to determine
whether a PC thief gets away with the theft or not.
Any item retained according to these rules, which does not have
a certificate will not ever have a certificate issued for it.
The campaign staff reserves the right to take away any item or
gold acquired for things it later finds unreasonable but which
were allowed at the time.

-Or-

Encounter 2

Helping trapped PCs escape the dungeon

(individually awarded)
Defeating the bugbears

25 xp
50 xp

Encounter 8
Defeating Duruuk

75 xp

Conclusion
Returning the relic to Ploellin

25 xp

Discretionary roleplaying award

0-50 xp

Maximum possible XP award:

500 xp

Treasure Summary
Player characters may keep items from the scenario that are listed on the treasure list below or which meet the following conditions:

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

The Black Stone of Harrowing Dreams (500 gp, weight , stone,

rare): This stone is a four-inch by four-inch smoky dark grayhued and jagged-edged stone. A single word is written in blood
on its face in strange cuneiform script. The stone emits a strong
aura of evil that can be detected by detect evil or another similar
effect. Unless the command work is spoken by its possessor, the
stone summons vile beasts that hunt down creatures near the
stone and then , once those creatures are killed, piles their bodies
atop the stone. Each night if the possessor of the artifact does not
recite the command word there is a 50% chance of attracting a
beast from the chart below. The attracted creature shows up
sometime around midnight. The beast will not act aggressively
toward the possessor unless the possessor attacks that creature.
The creature will attack any creatures around the possessor. The
possessor may not voluntarily give up the stone, even if her or
she is the subject of a charm person or command spell, but he or she
can give it up if subject of a remove curse spell. That spell does not
remove the curse from the stone itself, though.

EXPERIENCE & TREASURE

1d10 roll
1-6
7-9
10

Resulting monster
Dire rat (see Monster Manual, page 56).
Dire bat (see Monster Manual, page 57).
Dire wolf (see Monster Manual, page 57).

Command Word: The command word is written in blood on the

face of the stone in the Infernal language. A PC that speaks the
command word while he or she is in possession of the stone
(directly held or carried on his or her person) is cursed and compelled to keep it on his or her person, and will defend it aggressively if anyone attempts to take it away from him or her. The PC
will always deny any claims that he or she is cursed, claiming that
he or she is the stones rightful keeper.
Also, the PC suffers from horrific nightmares on each quarter-moon night.

14

grants either a cure moderate wounds or a delay poison spell, and if

three are used, he grants a cure serious wounds or a cure disease spell.
No more then three can be combined together at a time.
The judge should fill in the name of the town in which
Ploellin was found during the scenario, as it varies from region to
region.
Masterwork Light Flail (308 gp, 5 lbs, wood and steel, common):
Returning the relic to Ploellin after their harrowing encounter
with the minions of Nzevorikin earns the PCs this weapon,
which Ploellin never expects to use again. This flail is finely crafted with a rams head hilt and a twisted ivory handle.

Book of Torment & Torture, Volume I: (50 gp, 3 lbs, leather, wood,
paper, unusual): The Book of Torment & Torture, Volume I is bound
with a charcoal-black cover that has numerous gouge marks on it.
There are several pages torn out and a few that seem to have been
burned, but for the most part the tome is intact.
The tomes text is written in Infernal. PCs must have the ability to read Infernal in order to gain the insight bonuses the book
provides. This text gives the owner a +2 insight bonus to
Knowledge (religion) skill checks involving the unholy faith of
Incabulos. If the owner of the text does not possess the
Knowledge (religion) skill, that individual can still make a
Knowledge (religion) skill check for matters involving Incabulos
(without the +2 bonus mentioned above, but this ability is considered an insight bonus). It takes at least 5 minutes of reading to
gain the insight bonus. The book must be read no more than 5
minutes before the check that the PC wishes to gain the insight
bonus for is made.

Encounter 5
Holy Chalice of Rao: (400 gp/100 gp after the charges have been
spent, 3 lbs, bronze, emeralds, unusual): This chalice is made of
fine bronze and is encrusted with small but beautiful emeralds
around its base. It has been blessed by high priests of Rao.
This relic allows the user to cast bless or prayer as a spell completion effect. Only a spell caster of good alignment who has
both of these spell on their spell list may use this item. It has 12
charges remaining. Casting bless with the relic uses a single
charge, casting prayer uses three charges.

Conclusion
Favor of Ploellin, Priest of Rao
For returning the relic and defeating the evil priests infernal
plot, the characters receive a favor from Pleollin, a priest of Rao.
This favor grants the holder a single spell, should he/she seek out
the services of Ploellin in the town of ___________________________.
This favor is used as follows: if one is used, Ploellin grants
either a cure light wounds or a bless water spell, if two are used, he
A Plea from Beyond the Grave

15 APPENDIX

Major NPCs
Nzevorikin, The Villain
Nzevorikin (pronounced ZEH-vor-EH-kin), male human
Clr7 (Incabulos)/ Wiz2(lllusionist): Medium-size Humanoid;
HD 7d8-8 + 2d4-2; hp 35; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atks +6/+1
melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), +6 ranged (1d4, sling); SA Command
undead; AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +11; Str 10, Dex 11, Con
9, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 14.
Skills and Feats: Alchemy +6, Concentration +2, Heal +10,
Intimidate +6, Knowledge (the planes) +6, Knowledge (arcana)
+14, Knowledge (religion) +14, Scry +6, Speak Draconic, Speak
Infernal, Spellcraft +14; Craft Wondrous Item, Extend Spell,
Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (illusion), Spell Penetration, Silent
Spell, Still Spell.Divine Spells Prepared (6/5+1/4+1/3+1/1+1;
Spell DC = 13 + spell level): 0cure minor wounds, detect magic,
guidance, light, resistance, virtue; 1stcause fear, cure light wounds,
doom, obscuring mist, protection from good*, sanctuary; 2nddeath
knell, enthrall, hold person, shatter*, undetectable alignment; 3rd
bestow curse, contagion* (x2), helping hand; 4thpoison, unholy
blight*.
* Domain spells; Domains: Destruction: Nzevorikin can use a
smite power once a day. It is a supernatural ability to make a single melee attack with a +4 attack bonus and a damage bonus equal
to his cleric level (+7, and only if he hits). Evil: You cast evil spells
at +1 caster level.
Arcane Spells Prepared (4+1/3+1; Spell DC = 12 + spell level):
0arcane mark, daze, ghost sound, mage hand, read magic; 1st
charm person, shield, sleep, ventriloquism.

Description and personality traits: Nzevorikin is a ghastly,

grotesque man, with a bent stature and an icy glare. He chooses
dark vestments trimmed with copper, as is typical for a follower
of Incabulos. What he lacks in appearance, he makes up for substantially in force of will and intimidation. Though his demeanor
is typically calm and calculating, he is known to go into furious
fits of rage that can prove very disparaging to those that surround
him. He tends to shy away from close alliances with others and
prefers to work in command of small groups of humans or
humanoids.
Nzevorikin has a notorious history of ruthlessness. Torture
and pain are his tools when dealing with his captives. Typical
forms of torture include infecting his captives with slow-working, deadly diseases and watching them slowly die, noting every
detail in his personal journal devoted to the subjects of torture
and disease. There have been numerous accounts of him sacrificing his prisoners in bizarre rituals aimed at increasing his divine
power in the eyes of his god.
Nzevorikins weakness lies in his devotion to his god. He is
blindly move to the furthering of Incabuloss cause to the detriment of his own personal wellbeing. He tends to become
enthralled by his plans and schemes and underestimates his foes
A Plea from Beyond the Grave

abilities to thwart his efforts. His power has grown considerably

in the last few months, and as a result he has grown even more
careless and distracted, despite being closer then ever to completing his series of diabolical rituals. In preparation for his rituals, Nzevorikin uses defensive precautions to protect him, as he is
well aware of the cost that distractions could cause.
Encounters: Characters typically encounter Nzevorikin by
hearing about the remains of his gruesome rituals and seeking
him out to stop his plans before they escalate to uncontrollable
proportions. Nzevorikin typically has a host of henchman at
his disposal and more often then not he has prepared traps and
defensive wards against intruders into his domains. He rarely
takes offensive actions toward others, preferring to allow curious parties to stumble upon him and using them for his bizarre
experiments. If confronted directly, he will not typically fight
unless provoked or directly threatened. He will use all his
divine magical ability to escape, while sacrificing his henchman to do so.
Nzevorikin has been known, at times, to call upon adventurous types to perform tasks for him. He uses any number of
methods to attract the unknowing visitors to his lair and
entices them with charm spells and false promises of reward
for their efforts. His efforts usually include some means of concealing his true appearance as well as his identity, since he is a
fairly infamous villain.
He prefers to live in towers and typically has a number of torture devices at his disposal at any given time. This includes a
chamber devoted to the art. He also usually fashions a dungeon
beneath his towers to keep any captives at bay while he prepares
his evil plots.

Ploellin, Cleric of Rao

Ploellin (pronounced PLOH-lin), male human Clr6 (Rao):
Medium-size Humanoid; HD 6d8; hp 33; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC
16 (Touch 10, Flatfooted 16); Atks +5 melee (1d8+1, light flail), +5
ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Turn undead; AL LG; SV
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +8; Str 12; Dex 13; Con 10; Int 12; Wis 16;
Cha 11.
Skills and Feats: Heal +12, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowledge
(the planes) +4, Knowledge (religion) +14, Scry + 6, Spellcraft
+10; Alertness, Extra Turning, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus
(Knowledge [religion]).
Spells Prepared (5/4+1/4+1/3+1): 0create water, guidance,
purify food and drink, read magic, resistance; 1stbless, bless water,
divine favor, protection from evil*, shield of faith; 2ndaugury, aid,
detect thoughts*, shield other, zone of truth; 3rdclairaudience/clairvoyance*, daylight, magic vestment, searing orb.
*Domain Spells: Domains: Good: Ploellin casts good spells at
+1 caster level. Knowledge: All Knowledge skills are class skills for
Ploellin. He also casts divination spells at +1 caster level.

APPENDIX 16
Equipment: Light flail, light crossbow, crossbow bolts (10),
chain shirt, small wooden shield, clerics vestments, healers kit,
vial of ink, ink pen, paper (3 sheets), belt pouch, waterskin.
Description and personality traits: Ploellin is a stout, portly
man with a good sense of humor and booming voice. He did a little adventuring in his youth (he is well past middle aged) and
loves to tell the tales of his days spreading Raos word throughout
Flanaess. He is compassionate and cooperative toward people he
deems to be good folk. He is kind and caring to those that he
holds dearest to him and to the members of his church and
priestly order.
Ploellin, during his journeys,/ acquired a holy relic of Rao,
which he believed to be a sign from his god that he should give
up adventuring and begin preaching to the masses about the
Shining One. Unknowing of the relics significance, Ploellin has
left the item unguarded in his rectory for quite some time. The
object had no discernable powers until the priest blessed it, but
is needed as part of a twisted ritual that a dark cleric of Incabulos
is trying to complete.

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

17 APPENDIX

Quick Statistic Reference

Encouter 2: Decrpit Church
Tier 1 (EL 4)
Disease needle trap: +8 ranged (1) + filth fever disease (Fort save to
resist [DC 12]; incubation 1d3 days; 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con damage);
Search (DC 22); Disable Device (DC 20).

Tier 2 (EL 6)
Disease needle trap: +10 ranged (1) + shakes disease (Fort save to resist
[DC 13]; incubation 1 day; 1d8 Dex damage); Search (DC 25); Disable
Device (DC 22).

Tier 3 (EL 7)
Disease needle trap: +12 ranged (1) + slimy doom disease (Fort save to
resist [DC 14]; incubation 1 day; 1d4 Con damage); Search (DC 29);
Disable Device (DC 25).

Encouter 3: Dire Situation

+3. Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently checks; Alertness,

Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Power Attack.
Possessions: Studded leather armor, large wooden shield, bastard
sword, half spear.

Tier 3 (EL 8)
Bugbear Ftr4 (2): CR 6; Medium-size Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD
3d8+9 + 4d10+12; hp 58 (each); Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22 (Touch 13,
Flatfooted 19); Atks +10 melee (1d10+5/19-20, bastard sword) or +9
ranged (1d6+3/x3, half spear); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +7,
Ref +7, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 9.
Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Hide +3, Listen +4, Move Silently +7, Spot
+4. Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently checks; Alertness,
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Power Attack, Weapon
Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Specialization (bastard sword).
Possessions: chain shirt, large wooden shield, bastard sword, half
spear.
One Way Door: 2 inch thick; hardness 5; hp 20; AC 5, break DC 20.
Front Door: 1 inch thick; hardness 5; hp 10; AC 5; break DC 18.

Encounter 8: Villains Flight

Tier 1 (EL 3)

Tier 1 (EL 4)

Dire Rats (6): hp 7, 6 (x3), 5 (x2); Dungeon Masters Guide, page 56.

Duruuk, male human Ftr 4: Medium-size Humanoid; HD 4d10+4; hp

32; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14); Atks +8 melee
(2d4+3/18-20, falchion); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex
15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +3, Jump
+10, Speak Goblin; Cleave, Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved
Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (falchion).
Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.

Tier 2 (EL 5)
Dire Rats (3): hp 7, 6 (x2); Dungeon Masters Guide, page 56.
Dire Wolf (1): hp 45; Dungeon Masters Guide, page 57.

Tier 3 (EL 8)
Dire Rats (6): hp 7, 6 (x3), 5 (x2); Dungeon Masters Guide, page 56.
Dire Wolves (2): hp 49, 45; Dungeon Masters Guide, page 57.

Encounter 6: Ghost Revealed

Tier 1-3 (EL 4)
Trap door trap: No attack roll needed (Reflex save to avoid (DC 20);
1d6 subdual damage); Search (DC 18); Disable Device (DC 20).

Encounter 7: Capture and Escape

Tier 1 (EL 4)
Bugbear (2): hp 16 (each). See Monster Manual page 27.

Tier 2 (EL 6)
Bugbear Ftr2 (2): CR 4; Medium-size Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD
3d8+6 + 2d10+4; hp 35 (each); Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 19 (Touch 11,
Flatfooted 18); Atks +7 melee (1d10+3/19-20, bastard sword) or +5
ranged (1d6+3/x3, half spear); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +6,
Ref +4, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 9.
Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +6, Spot

A Plea from Beyond the Grave

Tier 2 (EL 6)
Duruuk, male human Ftr 6: Medium-size Humanoid; HD 6d10+6; hp
46; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14); Atks +10/+5
melee (2d4+5/crit 18-20, falchion); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1;
Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Climb +12, Escape Artist +6, Intimidate +4, Jump
+12, Speak Goblin; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Improved
Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (falchion),
Weapon Specialization (falchion).
Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.

Tier 3 (EL 8)
Duruuk, male human Ftr 8: Medium-size Humanoid; HD 8d10+8; hp
60; Init +6 (Dex, Improved Initiative); Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12,
Flatfooted 14); Atks +12/+7 melee (2d4+5/15-20, falchion); AL CE; SV
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills: Climb +14, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +5, Jump +14, Speak
Goblin.
Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Improved Disarm,
Improved Critical (falchion), Improved Initiative, Power Attack,
Weapon Focus (falchion), Weapon Specialization (falchion).
Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.